Many great Bristol clubs have come and gone over the decades but there’s one in particular which those of a certain generation all mourn the most.
Rewind 40 years and Chinese restaurant Great Chongqing on Park Row was a small club called The Dug Out. It was quite simply the place to be when it came to clubbing in Bristol and the club that famously gave birth to the 'Bristol Sound’.
Seen as both the spiritual and physical home of Bristol’s music scene to this day, it’s where many of the city’s most renowned acts made a name for themselves, most notably The Wild Bunch, who went on to become Massive Attack, and drum & bass DJ Roni Size.
Before it sadly closed in 1986 it was not only loved for its brilliant music offering and lively atmosphere, though - its distinctive orange walls, sticky carpets and steep staircase, which acted as a measure of how drunk clubbers were, also live long in the memory of those who passed through its doors.
Those people probably thought they would never be able to experience the magic of The Dug Out again after it closed, but for one night only in March they, along with others who never went there, will be able to do just that when a special one-off night is thrown to commemorate it, organised by someone who knew it very well.
Shirley Etaix, who regularly visited the club in the late 70s, has assembled a diverse line-up featuring resident Dug Out DJs including DJ Gill and DJ Manfred along with a handful of other respected selectors to throw a party which will celebrate the legendary venue in style. As the club is no more, the event will take place at The Dojo, which is the nearest in terms of location and style.
The line-up includes Bristol legends Smith and Mighty, who produced Massive Attack’s first ever single Any Love in 1988, among others.
“The Dug Out was my club of choice, it was where we always went out for so many reasons,” said Shirley, who now spends her time between Switzerland and Bristol.
“It was a melting pot representing a generation of youth that broke social, cultural and genre boundaries on the dance floor and where visionary DJs mashed punk, soul, hip-hop, reggae, funk, dub, jazz, disco and groove behind the decks. It brought everyone together no matter what their background or taste in music.
“I decided to throw this party because every time I’ve driven past where it used to be on Park Row I reminisce and realise that I really miss it, and lots of others feel the same.
“It’s important to point out that this is a celebration of The Dug Out, and not of The Wild Bunch.”
Tickets can be purchased from The Bristol Ticket Shop from midday today.
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